Discover 5 great ways to enjoy your coffee dairy free and take part in World Vegan Day on November 1st, 2019.
Plant-based living is certainly on the rise, studies showed that orders of vegan takeaways grew 388% between 2016 and 2018, and sales across all plant milks have grown by 30% since 2015. In fact, one of the most popular oat-milk producers in the US and the UK has seen its production increase by 1,250% in the past three years! So, when it comes to specialty coffee, you can bet there has been an impact from these new trends.
With that in mind, we wanted to share with you 5 great ways to ditch the traditional cappuccino and take the chance to try something new. You never know, it could change your life!
Option 1 - Black Filter Coffee
OK, this seems boring but hear us out! Filter coffee doesn’t have to be an afterthought or something to drink when the espresso machine is down for repairs, it really can be quite delicious.
When you drink specialty coffee, you’re enjoying the best beans from some of the finest origins in the coffee world. At this level of quality, the beans can taste incredibly different to the standard espresso blend or hospitality filter that you may have been served before. With specialty coffee, the flavours are amplified and well balanced, with citrus acidity and sweetness, with less of the bitterness you may associate with ‘normal coffee’.
There are also specific regions that are easily identifiable and stand out thanks to their unique and very pleasant flavour characteristics. Brazilian specialty coffees can taste like nuts and chocolate, Colombians taste like red apples, and African coffees are really bright and fruity. Great coffee is a bit like great wine, where you can easily taste the effects of the country, the weather, and even the soil from which it was grown.
If you see a specialty single-origin filter coffee on your nearest specials board today, order it! Almost every barista and coffee fanatic we know had their lives changed by their first specialty filter coffee.
Option 2 - Oat Milk Flat White
This twist on a modern-classic has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity in specialty coffee shops everywhere. You may have noticed that there are a lot of alternative milk options available nowadays, which caused something of a head-scratcher for baristas. Try as they might, it has become almost impossible to keep up and stock an endless list of dairy-milk alternatives.
After much debate it feels like we’ve reached a conclusion, soy is out and oat milk is in. There are even oat milks that are specifically designed to suit baristas for milk producing great micro-foam that’s thick and creamy, just like dairy-milk.
For an oat-milk flat white, you pull an espresso as you normally would. Use the same amount of oat milk as you would cow’s milk. You’ll notice that oat milk heats up much quicker than with diary, and will burn at a lower temperature so you’ve got to be on the ball with the steam wand.
Then, hey presto, you’ve got yourself a new favourite coffee beverage that’s just as tasty and a fraction of the calories.
Option 3 - Spiced Turmeric Latte
Here’s another plant-based coffee drink that has made quite the splash in cafes across Europe and the UK. The great thing about this drink isn’t just that it tastes so good, but it’s a pleasure for the eyes too!
You’ve got espresso, almond milk, maybe some maple syrup and several spices to make a drink that feels satisfyingly wholesome. Turmeric is said to have a host of health benefits and antioxidants, plus you’ve got cinnamon (good for your heart), and ginger (good for digestion). Nutmeg is also a pleasant addition at the end and makes for a great garnish. Talk about a healthier alternative!
It’s super easy to make, just combine the ingredients in a saucepan or milk jug if you have a steam wand (apart from the espresso, that goes straight in the cup) and heat it up. The result is a beautiful golden milk that smells incredible.
Option 4 - Cold Brew Coffee
Even if it is getting a little chilly outside, you still can’t go wrong with a refreshing cold brew. A bit like black filter coffee, cold brews made with specialty coffees can offer something completely different to what you may be used to.
Only certain coffees really work in a cold brew, they’ve got to be fruity, refreshing, and offer bright acidity. Without those elements, it’ll just taste like.... Well, a cold coffee! African coffees are great, because they can be very refined and floral, but in our experience, Central American origins are the best. These tend to be more fruity with tropical notes of pineapple, mango or lime, which makes for an all the more refreshing drink.
If you want a break from your usual latte or cappuccino, a cold brew can be the perfect pick-me-up.
Option 5 - Caffè al Ginseng
This is a great way to jazz up a traditional espresso coffee drink and again, add a little healthy benefit to the mix. Ginseng is a root plant from Asia (usually China), that you probably would have heard of before in tea-brewing. It delivers a sweet and nutty taste that really compliments a good espresso.
Ginseng is a bit like Chai, a bit like ginger, and a bit like a myriad of other roots that can be chewed, ground, dried, brewed and infused with just about anything to make it taste more complex and more enriched. It is said to be full of antioxidants, and can help to make you more sprightly and alert. So, be prepared for the effects when you combine it with espresso.
Simply infuse some ginseng extract in with some almond milk and pour over your espresso, and add a teaspoon of brown sugar if you need a little more sweetness. It’ll go down a treat and keep you up, up, up!